Automobile luggage carrier



' 2 192 Aug 7 F. LAI-1ER AUTOMOBILE LUGGAGE CARRIER Filed Aug. 31. 192sPatented Aug. 2, 1927;

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FRANK .3'. LAHER, 0F KL, CLUORNM.

AUTOMOBILE LUGGAGE CARRIER.

Application tiled August 31, 19%. Serial No. 13%,?23.

This invention relates generallyto luggaffe carriers for attachment toautombiles. iuggage carriers have commonly been mounted adjacent'therear bumper of an autombile. ln my copending application No. 115,799,entitled Automobile luggage carrierfl have: disclosed a novel form ofuniversal mounting or a luggage rack which will readily adapt itself toany standard form of autombile bumper. However, when this mounting isemployed with a wing or other type of rear bumper, the rack mayinterfere with the spare Atire which is normally positioned intermediateof the bumper wings.

lt is accordingly an object of this invenltion to devise a luggage rackmounting which ma be incorporated with a` rear bumper withoutinterfering with the spare tire.

It is a further object ot this invention to make use of extension barsin conjunctlon with suitable universal clamps whereby a luggage rack maybe readily mounted upon any type of rear bumper without using more thanone set of fittings.

Further objects of this invention will.

appear from the following description in which l have set forth thepreferred embodiment of my invention. It is to be understood that theinvention is to be accorded a range of equivalents consistent with thestate of the prior art.

Referring to the drawings:

lFigure 1 is a plan view of a device embodying the principles of thisinvention.

Fig. 2 Ais a cross section -taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

i Fig. 3 is a detail showing the adjustment of the hinge bars withrespect to the luggage rack.

` The invention comprises generally 'the use of extension bars forshiftingthe pivotal axis of the luggage rack rearwardly of the spacenormally occupiedby the spare tire of an automobile. Thus there is showna suitable luggage rack 10 which is preferably pivotally secured to apair of extension bars 11. These bars are adapted to be mounted upon anystandard type of rear bumper, the particular form of bumper .shown beingprovided with vside wings 12 which are constructed of im act members 13and support members 14'. uch bum ers are usually cecured to theautomobile j rame 16 by suitable fittings soas to provide a space 17 forpositioning a sparetire 18 between the side win s.

T e fittings or clamping devices employed for mounting the extensionbars upon the bumper are preferably such that they may be readilyadjusted to tit different sizes and types of bumpers. @ne Jform ofclamping means which has been found satisfactory comprises a threadedeyebolt 20 which extends slidably through a pair of clamping jaws 21.'llhese clamping jaws are provlded with suit-able notches 22 wherebythey may engage a support bar member 111 of the bumper or any otherconvenient bar which is secured to the automobile. The eye-bolt20 isprovided with nuts 23 whereby by adjusting the position of the nuts 23this bolt may be raised or lowered to any desired position and the eyeof the bolt may be twisted angularly to bring it in alinement with theextension bar 11. A bolt 24 or other suitable means serves to secure theeye ot the bolt 20 to its associated extension bar 11, the extension barbeing provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 26 whereby thebarmay be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly without moving the clampingmeans.

rl`he outer or rear portions of the extension bars preferably restdirectly upon the impact members 13 of the bumper. To prevent rattlingat this point there has been shown a tie rod 27 provided with a hook 28at its upper end to engage an aperture in the bar 11, and provided witha suitable clamping' A nut 3()v jaw 29 adjacent its lower end. may bethreaded upon the rod 27 so that the jaw 29 may be forced intoengaffement with an impact or support bar of the bumper.

The particular pivotal connection between the extension bars and theluggage rack has been shown as comprising a pair of hinge bars 31 whichare preferably adjustably se-y cured to the rack 10 as by means of bolts32. For example, the hinge bars 31 may be constructedas shown in Fig. 3,the slotted apertures 33 serving to permit lateral adjust ment of thesemembers. 'The bars 31 are pivotally connected to the extension bars 11by suitable means such as bolts 34 so that the rack may be swungupwardly in folded position about a horizontal axis. To serve as a stopfor limiting downward movement of the rack the extension bars areprovided with inturned portions 36 which are adapted to contact with theend rails 37 of the luggage rack. In order to have both the extensionbars and the luggage rack normally in a horizontal plane the extensionbars are provided With upstanding portions 39 to form the pivotalconnection with the hinge bars 31, these upstanding portions serving toshift the plane of the pivotal aXis above the upper edge of theextension bars 11.

l With the device as described above it will be obvious that adjustmentsmay be readily made to permit the device to be attached to any size ortype of rear bumper. For example the extension bars 11 may be spacedfarther apart by adjustment of the hinge bars 3]. with respect to theluggage rack 10 or they may be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly of thebumper by insertingl the bolt 24 in any one of the apertures 26.Furthermore, the extension bars may be adjusted to bring the luggagerack to horizontal position by raising or lowering the eye-bolt 2O y inaccordance with the nature of the impact and su port bars of theparticular bumper with W ich the rack is being used.

I claim:

l. A luggage carrier comprising a rack, a pair of extenson members,means for pivotallyy securing said rack to said extension members, andmeans for securing said members to an automobile bumper.

2. A luggage carrier adapted to be used inconjunction with an automobilehaving' a rear bumper, said carrier comprising a rack, a pair ofextension bars, vertically adjustable means for securing said bars to anautomobile bumper, and means for pivotally securing said rack to saidextension bars, said bars being adapted to rest upon the impact bars oithe bumper.

3. A luggage carrier adapted to be used in conjunction with anautomobile having a rear bumper, said carrier comprising a raclr, a pairof extension bars, clamping means tor securing said bars to theautomobile bumper, said means permitting vertical and horizontaladjustment or the bars, and means ier pivotally securing the rack tosaid bars.

et. A. luggage carrier adapted to be used in conjunction with anautomobile having rear bumper, said carrier comprising a raclr, a pairof extension bars, clamping means tor securing said bars to the.automobile bumper, said means permitting vertical and horizontaladjustment of the bars, and means for pivotally securing the rack tosaid bars, said bars including a stop member for'limiting pivotalmovement of the rack.

5. An automobile luggage carrieradapted to cooperate with an automobilebumper having impact and support members, comprismg a rack, a pair ofextension bars,v

means for pivotally securing said rack to said extension bars, and meansfor pivotally securing said extension bars to the support members of thebumper.

6. An automobile luggage carrier adapted to cooperate with an automobilebumper having impact and support members, comprising a rack, a pair ofextension bars, means for pivotally-securing said'rack to said extensionbars, clamping means for pivotally securing said extension bars to thesupport members of the automobile bumper, and means for securing saidextension bars to the impact members ofA said bumper. 4 v

7'. An automobile luggage carrieradapted to cooperate with an automobilebumper of the wing type having supportl and impact members, comprising arack, a pair of extension bars, means for securing said rack to saidextension bars, means for pivotally securing said extension bars to thesupport sion bars may rest upon the impact inem-l bers, said means eachcomprising a threadedeyebolt pivotally secured to its associatedextension bar, nuts threaded upon said bolt, and 'a pair oit jawsassociated with the bolt iii@ .andY adaptedto engage a bumper support;

member.

tn testimony whereof, i have hereunto set my hand.`

FRANK. J1 LAHER.

